Means for connecting together relatively inclined reinforced concrete supporting members

ABSTRACT

A simple, strong but extremely neat joint is provided for elongated reinforced concrete members such as a stanchion and rafter which are required to be detachably connected together in end-to-end relation with their longitudinal axes relatively inclined. The abutting surfaces of the members are stepped and anchor devices consisting of a triangular assembly of metal elements are embedded in the end of each member and arranged so that one element of each anchor device is in axial alignment with one element of the other anchor device, said elements intersecting the stepped surface and at least one of said elements being tubular to receive the end of a connecting bar, while tie bolts extend between the anchor devices to clamp them together.

United States Patent [7 21 Inventors Hugh Mary Clyne 25 Sion'Road, Glenageary; Peter Joseph Faherty, Park Ave., Dalysfort Road, Salthlll, Galway, both of, Ireland [21] App]. No. 808,533

[22] Filed Mar. 19, 1969 [45] Patented Aug. 31, 1971 [32] Priority Mar. 22, 1968 [33] Ireland 5 4] MEANS FOR CONNECTING TOGETHER RELATIVELY INCLINED REINFORCED CONCRETE SUPPORTING MEMBERS 698, 227, 91, S84, 92, 583, 285, 431, 432, 587, 707, 703; 287/1893, 189.6 F, 20.92 C

[5 6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 958,276 5/1910 Pence et a1. 287/2092 1,474,148 11/1923 Hopkins 52/91 X Primary Examiner-Frank L. Abbott Assistant Examiner-Sam D. Burke Attorney-Mason, Fenwick & Lawrence ABSTRACT: A simple, strong but extremely neat joint is provided for elongated reinforced concrete members such as a stanchion and rafter which are required! to be detachably connected together in end-to-end relation with their longitudinal axes relatively inclined. The abutting surfaces of the members are stepped and anchor devices consisting of a triangular assembly of metal elements are embedded in the end of each member and arranged so that one element of each anchor device is in axial alignment with one element of the other anchor device, said elements intersecting the stepped surface and at least one of said elements being tubular to receive the end of a connecting bar, while tie bolts extend between the anchor devices to clamp them together.

3,,btll939 MEANS FUR CUNNEC'II'HNG TDGETHER RELATllVElLtI HNICMINED IREKNlFORCED CONCRETE SUPPORTING MEMBERS in the construction of reinforced concrete frames for buildings, such as farm buildings, sheds, as well as prefabricated bungalows or houses, the ribs of the frames conveniently consist of a number of elongated reinforced concrete members assembled together in the manner of an arch, said members consisting, for example, of stanchions or posts supporting rafters suitably connected thereto in end-toend arrangement.

in such constructions it is necessary for the joint between one member and the other which is substantially inclined thereto, be capable of resisting not only end thrust but also bending moments, and in order to afford a convenient and secure connecting which will safely withstand the forces in question it has been usual to form on one of the members a hip portion or bracket which projects towards one side at the end of said member where the joint is to be made, so as to provide a crutch into which the end portion of the other member may be received and secured by bolts passed transversely through said end portion and the adjacent portion of the crutch.

The formation of such a crutch portion projecting laterally at the end of a reinforced concrete columnlilce member is not only a complication which substantially increases the cost of producing the member, requiring a mold one end portion of which is substantially offset with respect to the remaining straight, boxlike part of the mold, especially if the mold is otherwise relatively slender, but results in an unsightly projection which it is virtually impossible to conceal in the finished building or structure where the members are used. The latter defect could be overcome by combining the two members in a single reinforced concrete unit, of more or less angular shape, but this would create additional problems in molding and in the subsequent handling and transportation of the article.

The object of the invention is substantially to eliminate the disadvantages above mentioned and to provide a neat and effective joint between two reinforced concrete members, such as a rafter and its supporting stanchion, in a relatively simple manner.

According to the invention there is cast in the end of each reinforced concrete member to be connected an anchor device consisting of a triangular assembly of metal element having a pair of struts welded to the third element which takes the form of a tube or bar, said third element being positioned so that when the elongated members are assembled together to make the desired joint they are in axial alignment and are connected by a connecting bar, while one of the struts in each anchor device lies substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the member in which it is embedded, and provides abutments for clamping means to secure the elongated members together. Preferably the third element of the anchor device referred to is tubular, and the joint is made by inserting a connecting bar in the tubular portion where it intersects the abutment surface of said member, then positioning the other member so that the complementary abutment surfaces are in abutting relation, the projecting portion of the bar being engaged in the tubular portion of the last mentioned member, and finally applying clamping means to the outwardly extending legs of the anchor devices to prevent them from being moved in a direction away from each other. The rod is preferably grouted in position within the tubular portion of the anchor device. if desired, however, the connecting rod may form a permanent part of one of the anchor devices, replacing the tubular portion thereof.

The clamping means advantageously consists of a pair of bolts spaced apart in parallel relation and passed through bores provided for that purpose in the reinforced concrete members and through corresponding holes drilled in steel angle members welded to the aforesaid outwardly projecting legs of the anchor devices and transversely disposed with respect to the longitudinal axes of the reinforced concrete members upon the side thereof which defines the external angle between the members. The latter are preferably enlarged laterally to provide abutting portions of said members adjacent to the bolts of the clamping means.

The surfaces of the two members which abut where the ends of the members meet are preferably arranged to provide a step approximately at the point where the tubular portions of-the anchor devices intersect said surfaces, the surface of said step lying approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of one of the members, while the remaining portions of said abutting surfaces lie approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the other member. The step thus serves to resist any shearing component of the forces acting at the joint, at least in the only direction in which they are likely to occur.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. ii is side elevation of the anchor device according to the invention, the abutting portions of the reinforced concrete members in which it is located being indicated by broken lines,

H6. 2 is a perspective view showing by way of example and to a reduced scale, the reinforced concrete members in the position which they may occupy in the frame of a building,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of portions of the reinforced concrete members shown in F 116. ll,

lFlG. d isanexploded view of the anchor device employed in the construction shown in H6. 3, and

H68. 5, b and 7 show more or less diagrammatically details of the construction shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 2 shows a construction of reinforced concrete members for which the invention is particularly useful, namely for the connection of a reinforced rafter l to a supporting reinforced concrete post 2. Posts 2 and rafters l for use in constructing the frame of a building will normally be precast individually and assembled together on the building site, and this may be eflected in an extremely simple and advantageous manner by the aid of connecting means according to the invention. Said means comprise anchor devices which are embedded in the ends of the respective members ii and 2 to be connected and which consist essentially of a metal tube 3 welded to struts d and 5 in triangular formation. The abutting surfaces of the members l and 2 are preferably shaped so that portions 6 and I are substantially normal to the longitudinal axis A-A of the member ll, while an intermediate portion 8 is normal to the axis BB of the member 2. The intermediate portion b provides a step, and the triangular anchor devices are located so that the axis of the tubes 3, which are in alignment, intersects the step, while the struts d are substantially normal to the axis A-A of member 11.

in order to enable the two anchor devices, and thereby the reinforced concrete members in which they are respectfully embedded, to be firmly held together, angle pieces Ml and iii are welded to the upper ends of the struts i, d, as shown in FlGS. l and 4. Said angle pieces thus constitute laterally extending legs. and near each end they are apertured to receive tie-bolts l2 in the final assembly. in this way the angle pieces l0 and ill and the struts d to which they are welded serve as abutments opposed to the pressures exerted by the bolts 12.

The reinforced concrete members are cast separately, in accordance with well-known methods, the anchor devices being disposed in the molds so that the upper flange of the angle piece it) will be flush with the upper surface of the member ll while the upper flange of the angle piece ill will be flush with the upper surface of the member h when the parts are assembled as shown in FIG. 2. in the region of the angle pieces the members 1 and 2 are widened and suitable bores are left therein to receive the bolts it in the mbled structure.

The members i and 2, after being cast, are conveyed to the site where the building, in which they are required to serve respectively as a rafter and a supporting post or stanchion, is being erected. The members it and 2 are then placed together in end-to-end relation, a connecting bar, 9 first having one end inserted in the tubular element 3 of the member 2 in which it is preferably grouted, the other end of the bar 9 similarly entering the tubular element 3 of the member 1, and bolts 12 are then inserted as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 and tightened by applying the nuts l3, 14. The structural member thus provided by the combined stanchion and rafter is then ready to take its position in the frame of a building, in which the upper end of the rafter member 1 may, for example, be bolted by a bolt 16 to the corresponding end of rafter member of a similar structural member as indicated in FIG. 2. The design and arrangement of the reinforcement in the members i and 2 is a matter of choice and may be carried out in accordance with well known principles. FIGS. 6 and 7 indicate diagrammatically an advantageous disposition of said reinforcement.

It is evidence that as an alternative to the provisions of tubular elements 3 in both of the anchor devices, one of said tubular elements may be replaced by the connecting bar 9 which will in that case be welded to the struts of one of the anchor devices with portion of the bar 9 projecting from the end of one of the reinforced concrete members in readiness for inserting in the tubular element 3 of the other member when the two members 1 and 2 are being assembled together.

As a result of the construction according to the invention, as described above, two precast reinforced concrete members of elongated form may be joined in end-to-end relation and with their axes relatively inclined with a very strong and neat joint and without the necessity for cumbersome projections'to provide a crutch on the side which defines the interior angles between the members. It is also possible to avoid any protruberances on the surfaces of the members where they meet on the exterior side of angle formed by members, this being particularly desirable where one of the members is a rafter and the other member a stanchion supporting same, as indicated, for example, in FIG. 2. The stanchion member or post 2 is shown as being extended on the side remote from the member 1 where the cave of the roof will terminate so as to overhang the wall post 2 as is customary in constructing farm buildings, dwelling houses and so forth.

We claim:

1. A pair of reinforced concrete members having means for joining them together in end-to-end relation with their longitudinal axes relatively inclined with respect to each other, said means for joining said concrete members comprising a metal anchor device in the end of each concrete member, each anchor device including a triangular assembly formed of three metal elements connected adjacent their ends, said triangular assemblies being respectively embedded in the end of each member and arranged so that one element of one anchor device is in axial alignment with one element of the other anchor device when in abutted assembled relation, linear means inserted in the axially aligned elements of the anchor members to hold the aligned elements in linear position, and connecting means attached to said triangular assemblies and including tie means passing through the concrete members in positions transversely spaced from said triangular assemblies for connecting elements of the respective anchor members to clamp the anchor devices and concrete members together.

2. A pair of reinforced concrete members having means for joining them together in end-to-end relation with their longitudinal axes relatively inclined as claimed in claim 1, wherein the concrete members have stepped abutment surfaces individual parts of which are normal to the longitudinal axis of one of the concrete members, the anchor members each have one metal element disposed parallel to but spaced from the abutment surfaces normal to the longitudinal axis of one 25" concrete member, and the tie means traverses the abutment surfaces normal to the longitudinal axis of one concrete member and the portion of the connecting means attached to said triangular assemblies comprises angle members oriented parallel to those abutment surfaces and welded to said triangular members.

3. A pair of reinforced concrete members having means for joining them together in end-to-end relation with their longitudinal axes relatively inclined as claimed in claim 2, wherein the elements of the anchoring devices in axial alignment intersect portions of the abutment surfaces oriented at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of said one concrete member.

4. A pair of reinforced concrete members having means for joining them together in end-to-end relation with their longitudinal axes relatively inclined as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tie means traversing the abutment surfaces are tie bolts which extend through apertures in said angle members. 

1. A pair of reinforced concrete members having means for joining them together in end-to-end relation with their longitudinal axes relatively inclined with respect to each other, said means for joining said concrete members comprising a metal anchor device in the end of each concrete member, each anchor device including a triangular assembly formed of three metal elements connected adjacent their ends, said triangular assemblies being respectively embedded in the end of each member and arranged so that one element of one anchor device is in axial alignment with one element of the other anchor device when in abutted assembled relation, linear means inserted in the axially aligned elements of the anchor members to hold the aligned elements in linear position, and connecting means attached to said triangular assemblies and including tie means passing through the concrete members in positions transversely spaced from said triangular assemblies for connecting elements of the respective anchor members to clamp the anchor devices and concrete members together.
 2. A pair of reinforced concrete members having means for joining them together in end-to-end relation with their longitudinal axes relatively inclined as claimed in claim 1, wherein the concrete members have stepped abutment surfaces individual parts of which are normal to the longitudinal axis of one of the concrete members, the anchor members each have one metal element disposed parallel to but spaced from the abutment surfaces normal to the longitudinal axis of one concrete member, and the tie means traverses the abutment surfaces normal to the longitudinal axis of one concrete member and the portion of the connecting means attached to said triangular assemblies comprises angle members oriented parallel to those abutment surfaces and welded to said triangular members.
 3. A pair of reinforced concrete members having means for joining them together in end-to-end relation with their longitudinal axes relatively inclined as claimed in claim 2, wherein the elements of the anchoring devices in axial alignment intersect portions of the abutment surfaces oriented at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of said one concrete member.
 4. A pair of reinforced concrete members having means for joining them together in end-to-end relation with their longitudinal axes relatively inclined as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tie means traversing the abutment surfaces are tie bolts which extend through apertures in said angle members. 